The present invention relates to an emergency escape veranda apparatus for enabling children, old persons, persons on wheelchairs and other persons who are in upstairs rooms to escape safely downstairs in an emergency by utilizing an outside veranda.
As conventional ways for enabling persons in upstairs rooms to flee downstairs in an emergency, an emergency exit hatch provided in the floor of an outside veranda and a folding ladder, and an escape ladder provided in advance on a wall for use in escaping an emergency have been generally used. When escaping downstairs by using the above-described conventional ways, the use of the ladders endangers the escape of children, old persons and other persons and makes the conventional ways substantively unusable for persons on wheelchairs and physically handicapped persons. The conventional ways have such disadvantages.
An object of the present invention is to provide an emergency escape veranda apparatus which has successfully solved the above-described disadvantages.
To this end, an emergency escape veranda apparatus according to the present invention includes a movable veranda member provided so as to form a veranda in a normal state together with a stationary veranda portion projected outside a building and lowering means for making the movable veranda member descend vertically in an emergency state.
Preferably, the lowering means is provided on an underside of the movable veranda member. Preferably, the lowering means includes a combination of a rack and a pinion. The rack extends vertically and the pinion is rotatably provided on the movable veranda member.
Preferably, the lowering means includes speed adjusting the descending speed of the movable veranda member in the emergency state.
Preferably, the emergency escape veranda apparatus further includes fixing means for fixing the movable veranda member at a predetermined vertical level in a normal state.
Preferably, the emergency escape veranda apparatus further includes an impact preventing brake which prevents an impact on the movable veranda member when the movable veranda member reaches the lowest vertical limit.
The present invention permits especially wheelchair users and other persons to use, in emergency, the outside veranda to flee safely downstairs by simple operation.
The emergency escape veranda apparatus preferably includes the speed adjusting device and the impact preventing brakes, whereby the apparatus can be used more safely.